Dodgers add McAllister on Minor League deal

Veteran right-hander spent spring camp with Rangers

April 2nd, 2019

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers signed right-handed reliever Zach McAllister to a Minor League contract Tuesday.

McAllister, 31, was released last week by the Texas Rangers. He also was released last year by Cleveland and Detroit before signing a Minor League contract with the Dodgers late in the season, but was not called up.

For most of this decade, McAllister had been a mainstay of the Indians' roster. As a former starter, McAllister could give the Dodgers multiple innings of relief, a role that would have been filled by Ross Stripling and Julio Urias, had they not been needed to replace the injured Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill in the starting rotation.

Brock Stewart, normally a starter, made the club as a long reliever. Rough early outings by Joe Kelly and Pedro Baez have contributed to the club’s two losses in its first five games.

McAllister’s best season came in 2017, when he had a 2.61 ERA and 1.194 WHIP in 50 games.

He pitched in nine Spring Training games for Texas and allowed four earned runs in 12 innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks.